Miniature rotatable stage or exhibiting device



' Feb. 1, 1949. YOUNG 2,460,328

MINIATURE ROTATABLE STAGE OR EXHIBITINGDEVICE Filed April 8,; 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. G ZHEME E; YbQNG Patented Feb. 1, 1949 MINIATURE ROTATABLE STAGE OR EXHEITING DEVICE Graeme E. Young, Hollywood, Calif.

Application April 8, 1946, Serial No. 660,488

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a rotatable stage or exhibiting device particularly applicable to miniature theatres and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a revolving stage containing a plurality of sections adapted to display pictures, models or other objects, in which the revolving mechanism cooperates with means adapted to momentarily close a viewing aperture while one section of the stage is removed from View and another is brought into exhibiting osition.

Another purpose is the provision of such a miniature theater having means for exhibiting a sequence of pictures of the same or different outside or frame dimensions.

Still another object is to provide a toy theater of the character described which may be quickly assembled and disassembled so as to be compactly stored in a small carton or mechandising container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, the novelty consisting in the features of construction, combination of parts, the unique relations of the members and the relative proportioning, disposition and operation thereof, all as more completely outlined herein, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, which form part of the present specification:

Figure l is a perspective view taken from the front of a toy theater constructed accordin to my invention; 7

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my theatre as seen from the rear, showing the revolving stage;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the actuating mechanism located beneath the stage with the latter removed and parts of the front structure broken away;

Figure 4 is a top plan view showing the actuatin mechanism of the stage at successive stations of operation, with most of the stage broken away;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of Figure 3 and showing the operating mechanism of a slidable shutter disposed adjacent the viewing aperture;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-48 of Figure 4 and showing the engagement of the swinging lever with the lower edge of one of the radial partitions which protrudes beneath the stage;

Figure 7 is a sectional view through the center of the stage and its supporting blocks taken along the line 7--'! of Figure 4, and showing the manner of mounting the swinging lever; and

Figure 8 is a perspective View of the radial stage partitions as seen from above, with a continuous strip of pictures disposed about their outer edges.

My miniature theater is here illustrated in association with a generally rectangular fiat box or container 10 which is constructed of wood or other suitable material and has a bottom [,2 adapted to rest on a floor or table or the like, a pair of long low side walls l4 and IS, an end wall It having a central aperture 20 drilled therein, and a front wall 22 of slightly less height than the other three walls. For interchangeable use as a cover for the box l0 and a facade for the theater, there is provided a separable top or front panel 24 having a substantially rectangular cutout section 26 therein, said section serving as a viewing aperture when the panel is placed upright at the front of the box as by insertion of its bottom edge in a vertical groove 30 provided between the inner side of front wall 22 and the adjacent face of a horizontal cross bar 32. A pair of demountable corner posts 34 are also provided for bracing the side edges 36 of the front panel, each post having one end insertable in suitable recesses 31 formed at either end of the cross bar 32, the opposite end or top of the post being notched to frictionally retain an electrical cord 39 therein, the purpose of which will appear later.

Between the inner side of the front wall 22 and the adjacent face of the cross bar 32, intermediate the two ends of the latter, there is formed a channel 38 within which are slidably disposed a pair of generally rectangular runners 40 and 42, the top edge of each of which is grooved to have inserted therein an upright shutter is and 46 of cardboard or the like, each shutter having such an area as to jointly close the viewing aperture when the two runners are brought together in the center of the channel.

Upon dismounting the several upstanding structures of the assembly, the front panel is designed to have its side edges 48 inserted in longitudinal guideways 50 disposed along the inner faces of side walls It and I6 and be accordingly slid alon the top of the box to form a cover therefor, thus securely retaining the disassembled partsof the theater which are stored within the box.

A flat stage or platform 52, here shown as hexagonal in outline, is provided with six radially extending, vertical panels or partitions 54, each for rotating the stage from beneath as will be.

described later. The forward radial side 62 of the lug is curved downward and backward while the opposite side 63 is substantially perpendicular to the stage. The several radial panels and corresponding slots extend equidistant toward the Upon the sliding block being returned to its original position, the shutters are accordingly separated, by action of the rods 88 and 90, to display the exhibit located between the succeeding pair of radial panels 54.

Rotation of the stage is effected by means of a laterally extending lever 96 having a long and a short arm, 98 and I06 respectively, which lever is pivotally mounted at its fulcrum upona vertical 'pintle Hi2 sunk in a horizontally cut-out ledge Hi4 of the fixed block 80. Along the side of the sliding block 14 adjacent the lever, there isprovided a longitudinal passage I06 (Figure 7) oflimited length and having a height sufficient only. .to receive the shorter arm I00 of the lever "when the latter is horizontally disposed, said center of the stage so as to leave'an open circular.

portion thereat, the inner edges of the panels being held in cylindrical alignment thereabout by a flat, open-centered, retaining ring 64 mounted upon the top edges of the panels and having a series of openings 65 disposed to engage the several studs of said panels.

Arranged near the outer edge of either side of each radial panel is a series of vertical grooves or slots 66 adapted jointly with the opposite slots of the adjacent paneL to receive the edges of a picture 68 or the like inserted therein (Figure 2) It will be seen that the distance across the stage between corresponding slots of adjacent panels decreases as the panels become .closer together nearer the center of the stage, so that different width photographs may thus be accommodated by the several grooves. The pictures or other objects displayed between the several panels may be simultaneously illuminated from the center of the stage by a suitable. light source such as an electric bulb 10 having a flange or washer member ll secured adjacent the lower face of its appendent electrical socket 12, said washer being disposed to rest upon the retaining ring 62 so as to allow the ring and stage assembly to rotate freely beneath it without twisting or revolving the thus-suspended light, the light cord- 39 being held free of entanglement by insertion in the end notch 13 of one of the posts 34.

Revolution of the stage 52 is effected by means of a slidable block 'i' i carrying a vertically ex.- tending stub shaft 76 which enters a corresponding aperture in the center of the stage, the latter being supported upon the upper face 13 of the;

block and being adapted to slide over said surface. in revolving. It will be apparent that the shaft it may be affixed either to the stage or to the. sliding block.

fastened to the bottom of the box on either side of said block so as to form a guideway therefor, the sliding block 7 3 being reciprocated in said guideway by an operating rod 84 journalled in the aperture 29 of the back wall and provided with a suitable handle 86 on its outer end.

The sliding block '56 is connected to each runner it and 12 by a U-shaped rod 83 and 90, hav-' ing the base of the U resting on the bottom l2- A pair of lateral blocks 80, and 32 of similar height to the sliding block arev passage opening posteriorly into a vertical recess l0 8, upon movement into which the shorter arm of' the lever is free to tip upward, thus dropping the opposite or longer lever arm 98 to the floor of the box.

Terminally disposed on the longer lever arm Hill is an upstanding, approximately right-angle catch Hll' having a flat, radial, generally rectangular portion 1 l2 and a more or less triangular, peripheral end-portion N4, the longer, free edge i it of which is curved downward from its junction with the top of the radial section to its point of contact with the horizontal body of the lever arm so that the curved forward surface 62 of the dependent lug 6| of each radial panel 54 may readily slide over it as the stage revolves. The front of the radial portion H2 of the catch is in turn designed to abut against the rear, perpendicular face 63 of the lug BI 50 that as the sliding block 14 is drawn back and the lever Elli is held horizontal by reason of disposition of its shorter arm 98 within the undercut passage I06,

movement of the lever 96 about its fulcrum I02 swings forward the longer arm 98 so that the catch I In by contact with face 63 of dependent lug 5i rotates the stage to the next exhibiting station (as seen in solid lines in Figure 4). As the stage and sliding block are returned to the front of the box, the catch and longer lever arm 44 and 46 are completely closed by backward movement of the sliding block M, one of the hexagonal edges of the just-revolved platform 52 will abut against the inner side of rear wall [8 so as to effect exact alignment of the opposite exhibiting section before it is moved to the front of the box adjacent the viewing aperture. Such ro tationof the stage from station to station may be effected as rapidly or slowly as wished, the exhibits being continually taken off and replaced by new ones from the rear as desired; or again,,

a continuous band of pictures l 20 (Figure 8) may be threaded through successive slots 66 or placed around the outer edges of the radial partitions so that the stage can be turned from station to. station through a complete revolution to exhibit.

the sequence of pictures on the band which may then be replaced with another complete cycle of pictures.

While I have shown and describedin some de-.

tail a presently preferred embodiment of my rotating stage, it is to beunderstood that various modif cations maybe made in the construction.

and operation thereof within the scope of the appended claims which are to be construed broadiv.

The invention claimed is:

1. A stage assembly including: a platform adapted for rotation, having upper and lower faces, a series of annularly disposed dependent lugs on said lower face, and a plurality of radial ly disposed display sections on said upper face; a base; a support for said platform slidably mounted on said base; a vertical shaft disposed between said support and said platform and adapted to support the latter for rotation; an actuating rod attached at one end to said support; guide elements disposed on said base on either side of said support to provide a guideway A therefor; a front panel vertically mounted on said base and having a viewing aperture cut out therefrom; a wall adjacent said base and laterally spaced from the inner face of said front panel to define a channel therebetween; a pair of runners adapted to move toward and away from each other d sposed in said channel; a vertical shutter carried by each runner, the two shutters being adapted jointly to close said viewing aperture when said runners are brought together in the channel adjacent said aperture; operative means connecting each runner with said slidable platform support whereby said runners are moved apart when said support is slid forward; and lever means operable by said sliding support and adapted to effect rotation of said platform by contact with said dependent lugs.

2. A stage assembly including: a polygonalsided, substantially horizontal platform adapted for rotation and having an open-ended slot extending radially inward from the junction of each polygonal side, the inner ends of said slots describing an annular section of said platform surrounding its axis; a plurality of vertically disposed panels mounted on said platform, individually having a longitudinal rib disposed along the lower edge thereof and inserted in one of the radial slots of said platform, said panel further having a laterally extending lug upon said rib disposed beneath the platform so as to lock the inserted panel against vertical movement, each of said panels being provided with a series of vertically extending, laterally spaced grooves along their opposite radially disposed sides so as to receive therein the edge of a card or the like and to display the same, in conjunction with the corresponding groove of the adjacent panel, substantially parallel to the adjacent edge of said polygonal platform; a retaining ring mounted upon the upper edges of said panels, having means to frictionally engage the same and having a central aperture therein disposed above the annular section of said platform and adapted to have lighting means suspended therefrom; a base; a flat-sided support for said platform slidably mounted on said base; a vertical shaft disposed between said support and said platform and adapted to support the latter for rotation; an actuating rod attached at one end to said support; a pair of lateral blocks disposed on said base on either side of said support to provide a guideway therefor; a front panel vertically mounted on said base and having a viewing aperture cut out therefrom; a, wall adjacent said base and laterally spaced from the inner face of said front panel to define a channel therebetween; a pair of runners adapted to move toward and away from each other in said channel; a vertical pendent lugs.

GRAEME E. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 838,075 Brown Dec. 11, 1906 1,087,235 Hooper Feb.j17, 1914 1,206.083 Behrendt et a1. Nov. 28, 1916 

